University of Houston sports teams must prove themselves if they want more money from big sponsors like Nike, according to campus althetics officials.

Earlier this week, it was reported that UH's haul of $550,000 from Nike is dwarfed by deals reached by the University of Texas and Louisiana State University. Their deals are worth around $4 million each.

Officials at UH who negotiated their deal just last year say they do expect more money in the future, if they do well.

"We just moved up to the American Athletic Conference and as we grow, we expect that number ($550,000) to grow," said David Bassity, Associate Athletics Director for Communications.

Nike's main interest in college teams is, of course, the amount of gametime exposure their logos get on network TV.

UH officials said that last year's extension to the deal between the AAC and ESPN, which means all conference games will be nationally televised through 2026, will be key to their cause.

"This is the first year we'll have every game on national TV. Nike wanted to see how that went," Bassity said, hinting that the current contract, just three years long, could be markedly improved if this season goes well.

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Contract details were published at the end of December as part of a database compiled by the Portland Business Journal.

It revealed that the most lucrative deal in the country is one between Adidas and the University of Michigan. That deal, worth $4.4 million in equipment and clothing plus $3.8 million more in cash, includes a clause that guarentees the school will remain Adidas' most favored college.